Rocking chair



NOV 8, 1955 w. H. REINHoLz ROCKING CHAIR Filed July l, 1952 WILLIAM H. REINHOLZ /777MM ym ATTORNEYS United 2,722,967 Patented Nov. 8, v1955 ROCKING CHAIR William H. Reinholz, Pasadena, Calif. Application July 1, 1952, serial No. 296,561

1 Claim. (ci. 15s- 69) This invention has to do with furniture and relates more particularly to a chair so formed that it may, in one position, support an occupant in a semi-reclining position with his feet elevated relative to the body, and which may, in another position, support an occupant in a semi-reclining position with his feet lowered relative tothe body.

I am aware of the fact that chairs have been proposed for accomplishing such purposes; but all chairs of this type of which I am aware have not only been difficult to assemble but are diicult to move from one location to another. Also, such chairs of this character of which I am aware have an abrupt movement from one occupantsupporting position to another.

It is an object of my present invention to provide a chair of this character which incorporates novel wheel means so mounted as not only to facilitate moving the chair from one location to another, but also to facilitate swinging the chair from one occupant-supporting position to another.

Another object is to provide a chair of this character which is simple and economical of construction and which may be easily assembled.

Other objects and corresponding advantages will appear from the following description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, for which purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the chair;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view;

Fig. 4 is another enlarged fragmentary elevational View;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the frame elements;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevation.

Referring now to the drawing, my chair consists of two generally U-shaped continuous frames, 5 being the body' supporting frame and 6 the leg-supporting frame.

Frame 5 comprises parallel bottom or floor-engaging portions 15, upright portions 16, and backwardly and upwardly disposed portions 17 and 1S, portion 18 being bent upwardly at an angle to portion 17.

Frame 6 comprises parallel bottom or hoor-engaging portions 2l), upright portions 21, forwardly and upwardly disposed portions 22, and downwardly and forwardly disposed portions 23.

Floor-engaging portions are disposed to rest flatly on the floor when the chair is in one position. While floor-engaging portions 20 are disposed at an angle to portions 15, said portions are also disposed to rest atly on the oor when the chair is in another position.

To further describe the construction of frames 5 and 6, it will be observed that each of said frames consists of parallel tubular sides 30, 31. One end of side 30 is provided with a projecting plug 35 which is received in the end of side 31. A cross pin 36 is provided in the end of side 31 for engagement in a bayonet slot 38 in plug 35. The other end of side 31 carries a projecting plug 40 of a diameter to frictionally t in the tubular contiguous end of side 30. The parts are so relatively arranged that, in order to insert the pin 36 in the slot 38, the other ends of sides 30, 31 must be out of coaxial alignment. Consequently, after inserting the pin in the slot and pushing the parts together sufliciently to move the pin to the inner end of the slot, the other ends of the sides are swung into coaxial alignment, which rotates the plug 35 to move the pin 36 into the angular leg of the slot to lock the parts together. The plug 40 is then inserted into the contiguous end of side 30 and the upper ends of sides 30, 31 are then held against separating movement by the fabric covering to be described.

A fabric cover 50 is provided which has two sleeve portions 51, 52. To mount the cover, portions 17, 18 of frame 5 are inserted in sleeve 51, while portions 22, 23 of frame 6 are inserted in sleeve 52.

The upright portions 16, 21 of the frames are secured together by screws 55 and wing nuts 56.

To facilitate moving the chair from one location to another, as well as to facilitate shifting the chair from one position of occupancy to another, I provide wheels 60 mounted on an axle 61. The ends 62 of the axle project outwardly beyond the wheels and engage between uprights 16, 21 of the frames. To secure the axle and wheels in said position, a pair of coil springs 65 are provided, the lower end of each of which is provided with a hook 66 which engages about a projecting end 62 of the axle, while the other end of each spring carries a hook 68 which engages in the crotch dened by the upper curved portions of uprights 16, 21. The wheels are of such diameter that, when the chair is in either position of occupancy, the periphery of the wheels rests on the floor. If the chair is tilted to a position intermediate the two positions of occupancy, wherein neither of the floor-engaging portions 15 or 25 engages the floor, the chair will be supported solely by the wheels and may be rolled around from one location to another. Moreover, when the occupant is tilting the chair from one position of occupancy to another, the wheels make this a smooth operation, since the axle provides a pivotal point for such swinging movement.

In use, if the occupant desires to assume a semi-reclining position with his feet elevated, he will swing the chair into the position of Fig. 2, in which position the floorengaging portions 15 rest flatly on the floor. If he desires to occupy a position in which the feet are lowered, the chair is swung forwardly so that the floor-engaging portions 20 of frame 6 rest upon the iloor, while the floorengaging portions of frame 5 are lifted from the floor. The center of gravity of the chair is such that it will remain in either of such positions of occupancy until the position is changed by the occupant as before described.

I claim: j

A reclining chair comprising a pair of oppositely disposed frames each comprising a U-shaped ground engaging bottom portion, a substantially U-shaped top portion and a pair of parallel upright portions whose ends intersect the ends of said top and bottom portions, means securing together in abutting relationship said upright portions of said frames, said secured together upright portions of said frames being disposed in diverging relationship at and adjacent their bottom ends in a manner to provide a downwardly opening crotch between each pair of said secured together upright portions, an axle having its respective end portions disposed in said respective crotches, means securing said end portions of said axle in said crotches, and wheels on said axle; the ground engaging bottom portion of one of said frames being disposed in a plane at an obtuse angle to the plane of the ground engaging bottom portion of the other frame whereby to permit said chair to be rocked from one ground engaging position to another about the axis of 2,722,967 3 4 said wheels; said means securing said end portions of said References Cited in the le of thiS Patent axle in said crotches comprising a pair of .Coil springs, ,UNITED STATES PATENTS means anchoring one end of each of said springs to said axle and means anchoring the other end of each of said 1 chlbald "f 11j/leb' f springs between the top end portions of said secured to- 6 7137312 Thgn-l-ggl; Noa; 22 1938 getherupghtportions' 2"58S029 Morris Ma'r. 4 1952 

